Rick's Escaping NJ
Level 1 (8 points)
Apple TV

Q: Multiple OS Problems

Beware those of you brave enough to follow.  There be monsters afoot!  This computer (or owner) may well be possessed.  Or perhaps it's the metal plate in my head (kidding).  This is long and may be quite complex.  But I'm sure there are those who look forward to a challenge.

 

THANK you in advance.  I appreciate those who reply in order to assist, and have the understanding to help.

 

This is a long post including multiple problems going on for many months.  With luck, there will be one simple answer, but I'm not that naive.  I hope the history and comments are not red herrings.

 

Background and History

I have had some challenges migrating from DOS->Windows0->MAC.    I know enough to know where I venture into dangerous territory.  I’m wary (overcautious?) about viruses and malware.  I frequently check up on things.  I use iCloud, iTunes, and two external disks for backup.

 

Some of this will be overkill or irrelevant.  I’m hoping some may provide a clue.

Chapter 1:

Over the summer, my Macbook Pro, late 2011,13” with 8G memory was slowing to a crawl with things freezing.  I began a long-term relationship with Apple Tech Support.  I probably spoke with 6-8 people and spent 20 hours on the phone with them and another 40 on my own.  Older problems would be replaced by newer ones.  Finally, a friend who is a Mac Systems Engineer at HP suggested I install Disk Doctor, an uninstaller, and Onyx.  I ran those and things worked.  I still watched as memory went to 99% and I had to use DD to empty it, and I needed to run Onyx at least once a week.

 

Chapter 2:

Apple TV

The whole concept of requiring a piece of hardware to connect my computer to my LG TV eluded me.  Even more so that I understand that information flows through the router.  I found that each time I started the unit up, there was a different sequence to get things working.  I’d need to use Apple TV, the LG TV, iTunes, and System Preferences.  And I’d get different options when I looked at Display/Volume preferences.  After I got frustrated enough, I contacted Apple TV tech support.  I was told that there were two Airplays, one for voice and one for video.  We dug deep down into itunes to turn one off.  It now worked as it should, though every so often I’d have problems again.  I’d spent dozens of hours researching this.  Going back, I can’t even find where these were.

Chapter 3:

El Capitan

Having had a disasterous experience upgrading my iPhone 5 to IOS8, I waited.  I ddin’t install until November (I think).  Installation was difficult.  Now I recognize that it was not freezing, it was working, but there was no way to tell.  I installed at least 3 times, verifying backup first.

 

El Capitan started a new series of problems with ids/passwords, slow speeds, apps not working, etc.  Over time, many have seem to improved due to updates.

 

But some problems persisted.  I chose to live with lots of rebooting and running Disk Utility and using Disk Doctor to free up memory.

 

Prior or shortly after installing El Capitan, I tried playing around with VPNs our of a concern for privacy.  One, Hideme was on the Apple site.  I uninstalled all of them during the Installations of El Capitan.

 

Still suffering from crashes and slowdowns, I started to look at Activity Monitor and Console.  I discovered references to hideme and subdirectories for Tum & Tun which were related.  The showed up in errors in startup, but I couldn’t find them.  I contacted the company.  After an hour with tech support, they would only agree to provide me with uninstall instructions if I gave them my email.  (I created a new one just for that purpose.)  The instructions, received by email was to move the app into the trash.  I later started to receive spam from them with links to websites that were clearly malware producers.  I kept digging into the company via their emails and links and found hundreds of issues with inappropriate debits to bank accounts and credit cards.  I notified Apple, but their software is still on the site.

 

To remove this, I tried reinstalling the new OS, but that didn’t help.  I talked with Apple and received instructions on how to download the OS onto a thumb drive, erase the hard disk, reinstall the OS, and restore my backups.

 

There were problems during this.  Somehow I may have had more than one Apple ID.  Then there are different user accounts on my computer, and at least four or five more different pairs of IDs/Passwords in the Apple Ecosystem.

 

I had trouble recognizing my backup and logging into anywhere.  Another long call with Apple, supposedly fixing this.  I spent a lot of time questioning anything.  The final call was regarding the restoration of data, and I had a funny feeling that the tech felt very uncomfortable—he kept avoiding answering questions and kept telling me I could take it from there and wanted to log off.  I kept asking questions about the Ids.  During the first call, we were supposedly fixing this.  I had to create ids for

root and alternate ones to test things.  I found that there were long and short ids and they didn’t quite match.   Messages popped up to change two kinds of keychain ids, and sometimes the prompts were incorrect meaning one when it asked for the other.  We were doing so many changes my head was spinning.

 

I began restoring programs from scratch, and only restored my documents folder from the backup in the off chance that the program files may have been infected, or merely corrupted.

 

I reinstalled Microsoft Office from scratch.  At one point, I was trying to be certain I was restoring the Outlook files correctly-right folder, right names, etc.  Yet, while still researching, it seemed to do it by itself.

 

As long as I’ve had office, I get errors when it connects to the host.  I may have to type my passwords in multiple times a day.

 

A few files were missing, but nothing I needed.

 

At one point, I needed to reinstall the OS again.

So, what’s going on now? 

Again, memory use going to 99% quickly (I avoid Chrome and that helps sometimes.)  Freezes.  Slowdowns.  But most of all, ID/Password issues.  On a given day, I can be required to enter my Apple ID/Pwd multiple times.  This is now happening on my iPhone and even my Apple TV..  It’s as if the information doesn’t “stick.”  IMessages gives multiple errors.  I can often fix them by logging out and logging in (Apple ID again).  Sometimes I give up and it works.  One time old messages appear; other times, only a few.  Other times I can or cannot text people.

 

I’m continually getting messages on my iphone that a new computer is using my Apple ID.

 

Files and data seem to appear and disappear.  I had flash and carbon core dmgs appear on my desktop.  iMessages would have an entire history, then none, then some;

 

This is when I decided to add a second external backup.  I’ll ask questions about that separately, but I don’t really trust I’m getting backups, and the verify does not work without the Apple equipment.  I wonder if the id/pwd is an issue.

 

I seem to need to run first aid frequently.  It’s faster in EC—I wonder if it does the same thing or is abbreviated.  It usually takes 1-2 minutes, but sometimes it’s as long as 15.

 

At one point, the message forwarding in my iphone listed my computer twice.  I deleted and it worked.

 

As I’ve had so much trouble, I’m constantly looking at Activity Monitor and Console.  (I’m like the mother that pediatrician’s wish I didn’t have a thermometer.)

 

I see LOTS of what seem to be errors.  I try to research many.  But it always seems to relate to things not found or id issues. I know some “errors” are normal.  But the computer has to spend processing time working on these.

Console Messages that may indicate problems:

__SOSCCProcessSyncWithAllPeers_Server_block_invoke sync with all peers failed: Error Domain=com.apple.security.sos.error Code=1032 "peer: zUPjUdMOKZqtRQ+6HrNpvFNvvE not found" UserInfo={NSDescription=peer: zUPjUdMOKZqtRQ+6HrNpvFNvvE not found}

Jan  5 14:26:36 Ricks-MacBook-Pro CloudKeychainProxy[367]:  __39-[UbiqitousKVSProxy doSyncWithAllPeers]_block_invoke_2 <UB--s--C---> syncWithAllPeers (null), rescheduling timer

Jan  5 14:26:51 Ricks-MacBook-Pro secd[353]:

 

 

Jan  5 14:26:22 Ricks-MacBook-Pro iconservicesagent[314]: -[ISGenerateImageOp generateImageWithCompletion:] Failed to composit image for descriptor <ISBindingImageDescriptor: 0x7fcdcb50def0>.

Jan  5 14:26:22 Ricks-MacBook-Pro quicklookd[395]: Error returned from iconservicesagent: (null)

 

ec 29 23:59:06 Ricks-MacBook-Pro sandboxd[136] ([711]) <Notice>: com.apple.Addres(711) deny network-outbound /private/var/run/mDNSResponder

Dec 29 23:59:07 Ricks-MacBook-Pro com.apple.AddressBook.InternetAccountsBridge[711] <Warning>: dnssd_clientstub ConnectToServer: connect()-> No of tries: 2

Dec 29 23:59:07 Ricks-MacBook-Pro sandboxd[136] ([711]) <Notice>: com.apple.Addres(711) deny network-outbound /private/var/run/mDNSResponder

Dec 29 23:59:08 Ricks-MacBook-Pro com.apple.AddressBook.InternetAccountsBridge[711] <Warning>: dnssd_clientstub ConnectToServer: connect()-> No of tries: 3

Dec 29 23:59:09 Ricks-MacBook-Pro com.apple.AddressBook.InternetAccountsBridge[711] <Warning>: dnssd_clientstub ConnectToServer: connect() failed path:/var/run/mDNSResponder Socket:4 Err:-1 Errno:1 Operation not permitted

Dec 29 23:59:54 Ricks-MacBook-Pro syslogd[45] <Notice>: ASL Sender Statistics

 

 

an  5 14:25:47 Ricks-MacBook-Pro com.apple.InputMethodKit.TextReplacementService[428] <Warning>: -[PFUbiquitySwitchboardEntryMetadata setUseLocalStorage:](898): CoreData: Ubiquity:  rickgrossman~C09EA36D-C3F8-59C9-9143-CD9B8A27D984:UserDictionary

Using local storage: 1 for new NSFileManager current token <4d7e1166 0b52ff0b 3d6728b7 924dd424 ae7184b8>

Jan  5 14:25:48 Ricks-MacBook-Pro com.apple.InputMethodKit.TextReplacementService[428] <Warning>: -[PFUbiquitySwitchboardEntryMetadata setUseLocalStorage:](898): CoreData: Ubiquity:  rickgrossman~C09EA36D-C3F8-59C9-9143-CD9B8A27D984:UserDictionary

Using local storage: 0 for new NSFileManager current token <4d7e1166 0b52ff0b 3d6728b7 924dd424 ae7184b8>

Jan  5 14:25:55 Ricks-MacBook-Pro AppleSpell[426] <Error>: Lexicon creation failed: Lexicon resources not found

Jan  5 14:26:08 Ricks-MacBook-Pro quicklookd[395] <Notice>: [QL] _QLServerGetThumbnail: can't convert path to url

Jan  5 14:26:18 Ricks-MacBook-Pro QuickLookSatellite[430] <Warning>: In -[NSApplication(NSQuietSafeQuit) _updateCanQuitQuietlyAndSafely], _LSSetApplicationInformationItem(NSCanQuitQuietlyAndSafely) returned error -50

Jan  5 14:27:32 Ricks-MacBook-Pro syncdefaultsd[432] <Warning>: accountsd has been removed from syncing apps.

 

 

Jan  5 13:41:44 localhost bootlog[0] <Notice>: BOOT_TIME 1452030104 0

Jan  5 13:44:10 Ricks-MacBook-Pro loginwindow[95] <Notice>: USER_PROCESS: 95 console

Jan  5 14:18:01 Ricks-MacBook-Pro sessionlogoutd[575] <Notice>: DEAD_PROCESS: 95 console

Jan  5 14:18:18 localhost bootlog[0] <Notice>: BOOT_TIME 1452032298 0

Jan  5 14:22:35 Ricks-MacBook-Pro loginwindow[95] <Notice>: USER_PROCESS: 95 console

 

 

an  5 14:23:28 Ricks-MacBook-Pro.local bird[335] <Error>: Error when asking CloudKit about the account status: <CKError 0x7fd4a9fef2f0: "Internal Error" (1/2005)>

Jan  5 14:23:43 Ricks-MacBook-Pro.local bird[335] <Notice>: Setting push environment to production

Jan  5 14:25:41 Ricks-MacBook-Pro.local bird[335] <Notice>: scheduled a useless periodic sync

Jan  5 14:25:48 Ricks-MacBook-Pro.local bird[335] <Warning>: Path /Users/rickgrossman/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~TextInput/Dictionaries/.cdmetadata/metadata.nosync/rickgros sman~C09EA36D-C3F8-59C9-9143-CD9B8A27D984/UserDictionary/metadata.store is not an existing container

Jan  5 14:25:48 Ricks-MacBook-Pro.local bird[335] <Warning>: Path /Users/rickgrossman/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~TextInput/Dictionaries/.cdmetadata/metadata.nosync/rickgros sman~C09EA36D-C3F8-59C9-9143-CD9B8A27D984/UserDictionary/D6F8EFD8-216D-433E-97EE -0152620A3796.cid is not an existing container

 

 

Jan  5 14:24:09 Ricks-MacBook-Pro storeassetd[382]: BookLibraryJaliscoSource: DAAP Event GetLatestVersion success=1 error=(null)

Jan  5 14:24:09 Ricks-MacBook-Pro storeassetd[382]: DAAPClient: pollForUpdate did not load items because localVersion=latestVersion (1450600159=1450600159), forcedUpdate=0

 

Dec 31 22:51:23  corecaptured[975] <Warning>: CCLogTap::profileRemoved, Owner: com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family, Name: OneStats

Dec 31 22:51:23  corecaptured[975] <Warning>: CCXPCService::handleIncomingMessage release, incomingConnection

Dec 31 22:51:23  corecaptured[975] <Warning>: CCIOReporterFormatter::refreshSubscriptionsFromStreamRegistry clearing out any previous subscriptions

Dec 31 22:51:23  corecaptured[975] <Warning>: CCIOReporterFormatter::addRegistryChildToChannelDictionary streams 5

Dec 31 22:51:23  corecaptured[975] <Warning>: CCDataTap::profileRemoved, Owner: com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family, Name: AssociationEventHistory

 

2016-01-04 01:38:15.981 coreduetd[71:532] CoreData: Failed to load optimized model at path '/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/CoreDuetDataModel.framework/Resources/CoreDu etDataModel-PR-19621179.omo'

 

 

u>69051510 /usr/libexec/displaypolicyd: Version: V1.0 starting [0]

u>69167533 /usr/libexec/displaypolicyd: Started at Tue Jan  5 12:56:08 2016

u>108867448 ERROR: AGDC suppport not present in system

u>108868318 ERROR: Policy engine instance init failed

u>49749949 /usr/libexec/displaypolicyd: Version: V1.0 starting [0]

u>49750130 /usr/libexec/displaypolicyd: Started at Tue Jan  5 13:42:32 2016

u>86368991 ERROR: AGDC suppport not present in system

u>86369037 ERROR: Policy engine instance init failed

u>27740318 /usr/libexec/displaypolicyd: Version: V1.0 starting [0]

u>27740646 /usr/libexec/displaypolicyd: Started a

 

__SOSCCProcessSyncWithAllPeers_Server_block_invoke sync with all peers failed: Error Domain=com.apple.security.sos.error Code=1032 "peer: zUPjUdMOKZqtRQ+6HrNpvFNvvE not found" UserInfo={NSDescription=peer: zUPjUdMOKZqtRQ+6HrNpvFNvvE not found}

Jan  5 14:39:09 secd[353] <Notice> [lockassertions{} ]: lockassertions __SecAKSDoWhileUserBagLocked_block_invoke8 Dropping lock assertion

Jan  5 14:39:09 CloudKeychainProxy[367] <Error> [SecLogging{} ]:  __39-[UbiqitousKVSProxy doSyncWithAllPeers]_block_invoke_2 <UB--s--C---> syncWithAllPeers (null), rescheduling timer

 

 

Jan  5 14:18:46 localhost secinitd[159]: ctkd[158]: unable to get root path for bundle of main executable: /System/Library/Frameworks/CryptoTokenKit.framework/ctkd

Jan  5 14:22:38 Ricks-MacBook-Pro secinitd[342]: UID[501]: cache loaded: /System/Library/Caches/com.apple.app-sandbox-cache.plist

 

 

Jan  5 14:41:24 Ricks-MacBook-Pro secd[353]:  __SOSCCProcessSyncWithAllPeers_Server_block_invoke sync with all peers failed: Error Domain=com.apple.security.sos.error Code=1032 "peer: zUPjUdMOKZqtRQ+6HrNpvFNvvE not found" UserInfo={NSDescription=peer: zUPjUdMOKZqtRQ+6HrNpvFNvvE not found}

Jan  5 14:41:24 Ricks-MacBook-Pro CloudKeychainProxy[367]:  __39-[UbiqitousKVSProxy doSyncWithAllPeers]_block_invoke_2 <UB--s--C---> syncWithAllPeers (null), rescheduling timer

Thanks again.

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5), late 2011 13 inch

Posted on Jan 5, 2016 4:49 PM

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Rick's Escaping NJ

Q: Multiple OS Problems

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by macjack,

    macjack macjack Jan 5, 2016 5:08 PM in response to Rick's Escaping NJ
    Level 9 (55,709 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 5, 2016 5:08 PM in response to Rick's Escaping NJ

    Rick&#39;s Escaping NJ wrote:

     

    Finally, a friend who is a Mac Systems Engineer at HP suggested I install Disk Doctor, an uninstaller, and Onyx.  I ran those and things worked.  I still watched as memory went to 99% and I had to use DD to empty it, and I needed to run Onyx at least once a week.

    I believe you followed the wrong advice, see how your performance went south right after that? There are no viruses that attack OS X and OS X has its own built in malware protection. You're not on Windows anymore. At this point, the best advice I could give you is to backup, then erase and install from Recovery by booting up holding cmd-option-R. Do not use Migration Assistant, that will bring back your old problems. Copy your Documents over and set up the rest from scratch. It will take a while but your Mac should operate smoothly.

     

    If you need instructions let us know.

     

    What ever you do DO NOT install Disk Doctor or any other anit-virus product. You do not need OnyX or any other system cleaning tool, Mac handles all that.

  • by Rick's Escaping NJ,

    Rick's Escaping NJ Rick's Escaping NJ Jan 5, 2016 8:33 PM in response to macjack
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Apple TV
    Jan 5, 2016 8:33 PM in response to macjack

    Thank  you.  I’m going to try what you suggest.  I do have a bit of a feeling in my stomach.  I’ve reinstalled the OS over a dozen times this year, yet problems have  not been fixed.

     

    Did you happen to notice anything in the Console logs that might point to any hardware, or network issues, or where IDs may not match, or a program that is misbehaving?

     

    I have no intention to install Onyx, in part so I may isolate any problems.  I have no way of knowing it created any problems.  What I noticed was it fixed problems that Apple Tech Support had been unable to after dozens of hours. 

     

    I also notice that many times when my system slows down, Dr. Cleaner shows 99% memory usage (it seems to measure differently than Activity Monitor.) and when I have it clean the memory (caches, etc.) my system speeds up. 

     

    So one big question:  IF the OS were that strong, there’d be no need for anyone to make these apps, and also Apple wouldn’t have some of them in the App Store.  I don’t mean to put down Apple or the OS, but no one is infallible.  It may certainly be that the cure can be worse than the original problem

     

    You say Apple doesn’t get viruses or malware.  This reminds me of George Bush saying “We don’t torture.”  The Apple Support site is filled with official articles about Malware, Viruses and their removal.  i don’t know if this is a matter of redefining the terms to be very narrow.  To the public, anything that messes up their system and can’t be removed is a Virus, whether you call it a Trojan or adware, worms, security threats, malicious software, infections, etc.  If there’s no malware, why all the warnings about fake Flash or MacShield, MacDefender?  Why does Apple give instructions as to how to remove malware if it’s immune?  Either there IS Malware for Apple, or we’re warned about things that don’t exist.

     

    I have no issue if one says Apple is resistant to MOST malware and viruses.  Claiming immunity makes people put their guard down, as if one told a driver that a safety belt protects them from all auto injuries.

     

    Thanks again. I’m not looking forward to another one or two days of installing and identifying new things that have to be done to get everything operating, but I’m hopeful that this will fix thins.

  • by macjack,

    macjack macjack Jan 6, 2016 8:30 AM in response to Rick's Escaping NJ
    Level 9 (55,709 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 6, 2016 8:30 AM in response to Rick's Escaping NJ

    Rick&#39;s Escaping NJ wrote:

     

     

    Did you happen to notice anything in the Console logs that might point to any hardware, or network issues, or where IDs may not match, or a program that is misbehaving?

    I'll leave that to others. I've never been the best at reading those tea leaves.

     

    I have no intention to install Onyx, in part so I may isolate any problems.  I have no way of knowing it created any problems.  What I noticed was it fixed problems that Apple Tech Support had been unable to after dozens of hours. 

    OnyX is the least of your problem software. It does nothing on its own, it's all user initiated. What OnyX does do is a whole host of operations that could be done without its aid, if Tech Support suspected the problem was related to whichever operation worked. Throwing the kitchen sink at it may have solved one issue while creating others.

     

    I also notice that many times when my system slows down, Dr. Cleaner shows 99% memory usage (it seems to measure differently than Activity Monitor.) and when I have it clean the memory (caches, etc.) my system speeds up. 

     

    So one big question:  IF the OS were that strong, there’d be no need for anyone to make these apps, and also Apple wouldn’t have some of them in the App Store.  I don’t mean to put down Apple or the OS, but no one is infallible.  It may certainly be that the cure can be worse than the original problem

    Caches actually help your Mac run faster, they shouldn't need any cleaning other than the routine maintenance run by OS X. I've never cleaned any caches and my Mac has been up and running fine since 2010 with several system upgrades. What is sold in the AppStore, is sold because it conforms to Apple's development standards, not because it is recommended by Apple. Lots of bad apps there but it is a source of revenue for Apple. You are spot on that the "cure can be worse than the disease".

     

    Most folks confuse "virus" and "malware". There are no known viruses that attack OS X. There is plenty of malware around and it's a growing threat. Apple goes to great lengths to protect users from downloading malware. The introduction of SIP in OS X El Capitan takes system protection a giant step further. Of course if you choose to ignore the warnings or for instance, change the defaults in System Preferences > Security that is your choice.

     

    Whatever you do do not install any third party software that promises to "fix" your Mac. There are only a couple of apps we recommend here and only if you're having problems. One is only diagnostic and helps us identify problems. That is EtreCheck, created by one of own helpers here in ASC. It is a diagnostic tool that's very useful to us in finding problems. Also it will give us further specs on your Mac. (You might want to run that now). After it runs post the log file here. It will contain no personal information. The other is a malware identification and removal tool also developed by one of our own colleagues here in ASC. It is Malwarebytes It gets rave reviews and is about the most proven anti-malware software for Mac. But this is only for those who have allowed Malware on their system, either by being tricked into it or downloading from untrusted sources. (Again requiring changing security preferences).

     

    Good luck, erase and install is a bit time consuming but in the end you should have a happily running Mac.

  • by Rick's Escaping NJ,

    Rick's Escaping NJ Rick's Escaping NJ Jan 9, 2016 11:58 AM in response to macjack
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Apple TV
    Jan 9, 2016 11:58 AM in response to macjack

    This is helpful for those of us who are too inquisitive for our own good.  There can be multiple sources of both good and bad advice.  I used to trust CNET/Download.com, but it seems they have dropped standards and accepted anything.  Well-meaning people can provide what is considered good advice anywhere, including here.

     

    What would your recommendations be for those of us wanting to add features or applications to our system be when they do not come with the "virgin" OS or applications written by Apple?  What protects us from untrusted sources?  The more I learn, the more distrustful I become. 

     

    When I hear "safe computing" advice, I see terms used such as "safe sites," "bad apps."  It's like someone referring to "safe neighborhoods" or "poisonous fruits" or "bad mattresses" or "clean water supplies" without further explanation.  It's good advice, but hard for the recipient to always make the judgements. 

     

    It's a bit like the wild west....danger is there, but what is safe and trustworthy and how do we distinguish?  I can accept the fact that there really is no answer.

  • by pinkstones,

    pinkstones pinkstones Jan 9, 2016 12:42 PM in response to Rick's Escaping NJ
    Level 5 (4,209 points)
    Safari
    Jan 9, 2016 12:42 PM in response to Rick's Escaping NJ

    A good rule of thumb is not to download anything from anywhere other than the developer's website or the App Store.  That's not always a 100% guarantee that nothing will go wrong, but it's a lot better than finding something on an aggregate download site (Softonic, MacUpdate, CNET, etc.) or torrents.  Macs need very little "window dressing" to operate.  They don't need cleaners, optimizers, refreshers, organizers, or other maintenance tools, and they don't need anti-virus programs.  They don't need third-party applications that hack the OS to change things beyond what Apple allows you to alter in System Preferences.   

     

    Basically, you need to use your common sense. 

  • by John Galt,

    John Galt John Galt Jan 9, 2016 1:20 PM in response to Rick's Escaping NJ
    Level 9 (50,243 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 9, 2016 1:20 PM in response to Rick's Escaping NJ

    The primary rule for avoiding trouble is to avoid garbage software that serves no beneficial purpose. "Disk Doctor", "Dr. Cleaner", and "OnyX" are in that category. So are any other "doctors", "cleaners", "medics" or similarly categorized utilities that are not included in OS X itself. Your HP-employed "Mac Systems Engineer" says a lot about HP's attention to the Mac platform and his recommendation doesn't surprise me one bit. That organization has been on an inexorable slide toward irrelevance for years, and he has found a home appropriate for his skills.

     

    If you want to follow general principles that will help you to use your Mac as it is designed to be used, I suggest use it to do whatever you bought it to do. You may have been used to having to maintain a Windows PC for years, but unless the software you run on your Mac is for doing things like being productive, communicating, creating, playing, those sorts of things, then you don't need it. All those "maintenance" or "security" products can do is cause trouble, as you have learned yourself. If you encounter an unsolicited popup alleging the existence of some unsafe condition or the need to do something or other right now this instant, don't. A Mac will run perfectly well if you simply let it. Given the history of your troubles you might be better off erasing that Mac and reconfiguring it.

     

    Read Effective defenses against malware and other threats.

  • by John Galt,

    John Galt John Galt Jan 9, 2016 1:28 PM in response to Rick's Escaping NJ
    Level 9 (50,243 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 9, 2016 1:28 PM in response to Rick's Escaping NJ

    The more I learn, the more distrustful I become.


    That's a good thing. If you are uncertain, constrain your software purchases to the Mac App Store. There is no shortage of useless, time-wasting garbage to be found there, but at least you won't install something that will alter your Mac's operating system or that will be difficult to remove.

     

    Especially avoid obtaining anything from software download aggregator sites. The only reason for those sites exist is to generate revenue for themselves, either through interest-based targeted advertisements on the websites themselves, or through adware they bundle with otherwise legitimate software. Either one is reason enough to shun those websites completely.

     

    Excerpted from Effective defenses against malware and other threats:

     

    • Never install pirated or "cracked" software, software obtained from dubious websites, or other questionable sources.
      • Illegally obtained software is almost certain to contain malware.
      • "Questionable sources" include but are not limited to spontaneously appearing web pages or popups, download hosting sites such as C net dot com, Softonic dot com, Soft pedia dot com, Download dot com, Mac Update dot com, or any other site whose revenue is primarily derived from junk product advertisements.
      • If you need to install software that isn't available from the Mac App Store, obtain it only from legitimate sources authorized by the software's developer.